Fated - Alternate Ending
by leafygirl
Summary: This is an alternate ending to the story "Fated". Read the original first. These three chapters are an alternative ending to the last three chapters of the original story.
1. Chapter 1

I've always talked about doing an alternate ending for Fated as it was a depressing ending for my favorite character. Finishing off Hirameki drew me back in a little so I resurrected this alternate ending and thought I would post it. This month is the 10 year anniversary of Fated but it doesn't seem that long ago that I wrote it. I hope you like it. It's kakasaku so if you are stumbling onto this and don't like that pairing, move on. If you haven't read the story, this won't make a lot of sense. These three chapters can take the place of chapter 21, 22, and 23 in the original story so feel free to go with whichever you like best.

Fated - Alternate Ending

Chapter 21 - Fated

* * *

Sakura was jarred awake by the force of her weak body crashing to the earth, her temple smacking the unforgiving dirt and her back bursting with pain. She sucked in some shallow breaths, willing the endorphins to hurry and give her some relief.

"Finally awake," the Hawk said evenly as he crouched beside her, dangling his gloved hands over his knees. He jutted his chin toward her. "You've got an audience now, Uchiha. Let's see those sharingan. If you do, I might let you live."

Sakura laughed out a sound between a strangled chuckle and a sob as she rolled her unfocused eyes up to her assailant. He was clad in a standard gray uniform complete with crisscrossing tracks of bloodstains, and he scowled at her with an older version of Komodori's face. He tilted his head to the side and lifted his brows, like she was an experiment he was observing. Maybe she was.

"You might as well kill me," she ground out, resigned. "I don't have sharingan."

She shifted minutely to relieve the pinch of her fingers under the restraints, but by the way her shoulder stabbed with pain with such a simple movement, she believed that it was very likely dislocated. The dire feeling made it difficult to catch her breath as she gasped through the swell of the pain until it began to mercifully subside. Groaning softly, Sakura lowered her forehead to the ground.

"You're Konoha's last Uchiha..." the Hawk hushed out.

"No – no, I'm not," she whispered into the grass. "I'm his widow."

A heavy pause fell between them as the Hawk scanned her face, calculating her honesty, scrutinizing and weighing her. If Sakura had possessed the sharingan, it was more than guaranteed she would have used it on him already, made him slide his own kunai through his smug face. How desperately she wished she had it at that moment.

The enemy straightened up and crossed his arms, impatiently shaking his head. "Well you're just a waste of my time. I thought we'd get a chance to use your eyes but apparently you are of no use at all." Some of the men that had gathered around them started to wander away.

"Just let me go then. I serve no purpose but to enflame the tension. Do you really want war?" Sakura half-whimpered.

"It's already war. But maybe you're important enough to bargain for?"

Clenching her jaw and railing against the tempting kiss of unconsciousness, she bit out, "Yes, like your brother?"

The Hawk's amusement ceased and he thrust his heavy boot into Sakura's chest, flipping her onto her back and excessively wrenching her useless shoulder. She gasped out a breathy shriek before she felt the darkness creeping behind her eyes more readily than before. Her green eyes rolled back into her head as she fought hard to stay lucid, stay present for her impending death.

"Maybe I'll just send you back in pieces."

Managing to fight off the darkness, Sakura felt nausea swirling and burning her stomach. Somewhere in her muddled thoughts she believed she could hear some noise – angry shouts, and calls - but her mind was having trouble processing it all amid the ache and sickness. For now, she couldn't even rebuke his last comment.

The Hawk stood beside her, glaring off elsewhere all of a sudden. Sakura was momentarily grateful because if he was looking away, he wasn't concentrating on her. Undoubtedly, she wouldn't be able to handle another kick to any part of her weak body.

Some commotion was approaching and her assailant finally seemed to feel the need to address it.

"What the hell is going on over there?" the Hawk shouted out to everyone.

Almost as soon as he'd asked, Sakura heard frightened calls and the clang of metal getting closer. She heard some heavy thuds nearby and then sudden warmth hovered above her along with what sounded like deep breathing. Forcing her eyes upward, she could see a bulky dog standing directly over her. Its posture was protective, and it looked down after she made a noise of surprise. The gleam of the Konoha headband tied around its neck caught her wide eyes.

"No," she whispered as she began to understand the implications of the dog's presence. "Oh God, no. Don't bring him here. Please don't lead him here. Please leave…" Her soft pleading continued as another dog darted into the crowd of ninja around her, snapping and growling. Everyone seemed to be hesitant to attack it, backing away and looking at each other.

The melee continued until two ANBU appeared, standing on either side of her prone body. One bore a backwards headband, and the other, silver hair. They both had blood spatter on them, but seemed uninjured.

"No, no…" she continued.

The enemy group surrounded the two dogs, the ANBU, and the pained medic. Kakashi turned to look at her briefly to make sure she was alive and in one piece. His headband was still down over his Sharingan, but his dark eye relayed so much concern and fear for her that she had to look away.

"Well, well. I thought I killed you." The Hawk grinned as he approached Kakashi, recognizing him from their last encounter.

"Obviously not," Kakashi responded in a bored tone, still keeping an eye on Sakura as the crowd gathered around them. He turned to Genma and mumbled, "How long?"

Genma glanced quickly at Kakashi, and then realized what he wanted. "About twenty minutes." At this, Kakashi nodded, making up his mind. Genma's eyebrows dipped with the cruel understanding of what Kakashi meant to do.

"Looks like I get another chance," The Hawk scoffed. "We've got forty men, and you have a tired companion and a broken medic. What's your play?"

"Why is she important enough to steal away from the Fire Country? It's the sharingan you want, isn't it?"

"No!" Genma barked.

The Hawk shrugged, ignoring Genma. "It may have been, but it seems she doesn't have it so I see no reason to keep her alive."

"How about I offer you a deal," Kakashi continued.

"No, we'll fight this out," Genma growled, trying to stop the downward spiral the situation was taking.

Sakura suddenly knew what was happening, and without warning the dog above her disappeared. Shifting her eyes to Kakashi, who was now standing up straight, she could see the shudder of his body with the tired breaths he took. He was drained of strength and chakra, but still he had come for her. The futility mixed with emotion and she felt her throat burn.

"Don't, please," she pleaded quietly to him. He turned and quickly pulled her up to put her on her feet beside him, getting a small shout of pain with the movement. Her restraints fell off her wrists with his tug in the right place. His arm held her around the waist so that her front was pressing into his side as her head fell to his shoulder. His other hand slid into her hair as he carefully held her against him.

"My chakra is gone. Genma is worn out and you're tired and injured as well. It's the only way," he whispered, although he didn't seem to care if anyone else heard. It wasn't a secret that they were exhausted and powerless. There was only one piece of leverage left.

The Hawk grew impatient. "What's the offer?"

Releasing Sakura a little and holding her with just one arm, Kakashi slid a kunai from his pouch, putting the enemy around them on guard. While still holding the weapon, he used his thumb to push his headband away from his sharingan. The tiny amount of the chakra he had left flooded immediately to it and Sakura felt his body tense with the pain.

"No - no, we'll fight. Please, don't do this. I'm begging you, Kakashi, don't do this." Sakura's words fell to sobs, knowing that he meant to bargain his own life for her and Genma. She continued to plead through her tears while his arm tightened around her, pulling her as close to him as he could get her.

The Hawk, on the other hand, seemed too pleased for words. So many of the other nins were nodding and whispering, excitedly pointing to Kakashi.

Kakashi lifted the kunai and held it against his cheek just below his eye. "Let them go back across the border and it's yours."

"Copy-ninja Kakashi. How foolish of me not to realize it during our first encounter. Komadori said someone used a sharingan on him so I just assumed it was an Uchiha. Son of the Konoha White Fang, Sharingan user, and elite ANBU assassin - today is indeed my lucky day. I have no doubt that you would put that kunai through your eye. What are your terms?"

"No, Kakashi. It won't happen like this," Genma growled. "We fight together and die together. If I knew this was what you had planned, I wouldn't have let you come."

Ignoring Genma, Kakashi nodded to the Hawk. "Let them keep their radios on, and they can tell me when they cross the border. Once they're there, I'll put down this weapon and give the sharingan to you."

The Hawk looked at some other man, possibly a medic, and seemed to have some silent agreement with him. Turning back to the weak Konoha ANBU still holding Sakura against him, he nodded sharply. "Deal."

Sakura's hand clenched Kakashi's vest. "No!" She grew angry, "I won't let you die to save me. I won't!" Her voice changed to desperate pleading. "Kakashi please, I love you. You can't do this. I'd rather die than let you do this."

"I know," he said softly. "But, there's no other way because I don't want you to die."

Genma was lost for words. He reasoned that Kakashi was right, but it was hard to accept. If they fought, they'd all be dead in a matter of minutes. This way was the only way - two would live instead of three dying. Even though the numbers were better, it was the hardest thing Genma had ever had to swallow. He looked over at Kakashi, unable to hide the pain in his face. If Sakura wasn't there, he never would have agreed.

Kakashi only nodded at him with a creased brow while still holding the sobbing kunoichi to his chest.

"I'll allow you to walk them to the edge of camp and they'll leave alone from there," The Hawk added as men approached them to pull Sakura away.

She began to fight, but Genma was there, pushing their hands off her arms. Kakashi allowed them to hold a kunai at his back, but didn't relinquish the weapon he had near his eye.

They walked amid a small group of enemies towards the edge of the camp. Darkness began to swell around them as they came close to the tree line around the clearing and away from the fires.

The Hawk turned away slightly as if he didn't want to witness any exchange the trio might make.

They stopped, and Sakura wrapped her good arm around Kakashi's waist. "It's not too late. Let's run. Let's try. I won't leave you here. I won't let you go." She sobbed softly into his vest. "We've only just started our life together. It's not fair to end it now. I've already lost this chance once, I can't lose you too." She continued to try to find the right words that would stop it all. She tried desperately to find the right phrase that would change everyone's mind and make it end. But the words didn't exist.

She tried to stare through him, into him desperately to find that thing to halt this dark path. If it were possible, she wanted to will him to listen, will him to understand that to lose him would kill her anyway.

"Sakura," he said gently as he pulled down his mask, "We can't stop this now. I'm content. It's horrible to say it, but I'm content."

Her wide eyes filled with disbelief. "Don't say that," she whispered.

"I'm not afraid to die. My worst fear is that I couldn't save you. I'm glad that I have this eye and that because of it, you'll live." He smiled at her. "When I first came here, I couldn't think of anything but death. You've given me so much to live for. I'm only sorry that I couldn't give you something to live for in return."

Her grip tightened. "I can't live without you."

"You can," he said gently. "You can live. Don't give up. Do this for me." He looked up at Genma, who still seemed resigned to anger, and nodded. Genma understood and approached the couple.

"I won't let you go. I won't agree to this. Genma and I won't agree to this!" Sakura continued to get angry, frustrated, and scared. There had to be some way to make him listen.

"Sakura!" Kakashi said sharply to stop her protests. Her wide eyes looked into his as the silent moment passed between them. His fingers lifted her chin. "Don't waste this moment."

Relinquishing his weapon positioning for just a short time, Kakashi kissed Sakura. He could taste the tears on her lips, and feel her fingers twisting, trying to grip him so he that couldn't get away from her. But prolonging it would only be harder. He kissed her deeply, and tried to stretch their moment because he knew it would be their last.

Genma had to turn away. The pain in their faces was too much to watch.

As they parted slowly, Kakashi smiled at her. "It's not the end. Don't you believe we'll see each other again? But when I see you next, I want your hair to be gray, and your face to have lines from a lifetime of laughing." He rubbed some of her pink hair between his fingers.

Sakura nodded as she felt Genma's hands clamp onto her shoulders. She winced in pain as Kakashi pulled out of her grip and stepped back. His fingers reached up to her neck and tugged her radio mic off, breaking it in the process.

"Take care of her for me, Genma," he said softly as he took another step back.

"Kakashi," she pleaded in a whisper as she reached for him. But he didn't return to her.

"I love you," he said meaningfully, quietly, and then slowly turned and walked back through the small crowd of men.

Sakura trembled in Genma's grip. This wasn't happening - it couldn't be. She couldn't lose him now. "No…" she began, shaking her head."Kakashi," she called out as more of the enemy began to turn away from them. "Please, Kakashi," she called louder trying to see him through the crowd of bodies that blocked him from view.

The Hawk looked at Genma. "Get going before I change my mind." And then he walked away as well.

Genma held Sakura as she began to fight his grip with her usable limb. "Kakashi!" she screamed, "Kakashi, don't go. Don't go!" She continued to scream and fight against Genma's strong hold as he struggled to get a good clamp on her. "Kakashi, please, please. Kakashi! Don't leave me!"

"Sakura, we have to go." Genma growled, not liking it any more than she, but understanding what Kakashi had just given up for them.

"I can't leave him! I can't leave him! He can't give them his eye. I won't let him. Kakashi!" she screamed in gut wrenching sobs as her leg gave out and she slid half to the ground, still struggling to get out of Genma's restrain. Her feet dug and slipped in the grass as she fought to get free. "Let me go, Genma! Damn it, let me go… Kakashi!"

Genma tugged her up against him hard, making her shout in pain. He held her so that her face was an inch from his. Her eyes were drowning in tears, the fear so clear in them. "He won't, Sakura!"

Her stunned gaze focused on his for a moment. His voice was a desperate growl. "He won't give up Obito's gift - to anyone. We can't waste the chance he's given us. We have to go."

Sakura had a moment to digest what Genma had just said as he picked her up and ran headlong through the trees. She dangled over his shoulder, the pain searing through her own shoulder and making her sick as she fought against slipping into unconsciousness.

But still she screamed for him as the camp disappeared in the darkness.

"Kakashi!"

* * *

"Genma… Genma, stop," Sakura huffed out in jagged breaths while bouncing over his shoulder. "I'm going to throw up. Please…"

Shaking with adrenaline, Genma halted abruptly and set Sakura down on her feet, making her choke out a painful sound with the rough shifting of her injured shoulder. Seemed vomit was his weakness and Sakura was grateful to find the thing to finally make him stop after long minutes of begging.

"Fuck. We've gotta keep moving. We aren't far enough away."

Sakura sank heavily to the ground, holding her useless arm tightly against her body. "How long have we been running?" She didn't even try to wipe the tears away from her eyes.

"Six minutes. We're still too far inside their border. I know it hurts, but we can't stop."

Sakura looked up to see him rubbing roughly at his eyes. She inadvertently sobbed once, but quickly composed herself. "Hel-help me, Genma." she managed.

"Help you what?" he growled. "We need to go."

"My shoulder is dislocated. We have to pop it back in. We can move faster if we do." She dropped her chin and struggled in a jagged breath.

Genma crouched down in front of her. "What are you doing?" he said weakly. "You're stalling."

Sakura's head rose as more tears raced to her chin. There was no stopping them but she steeled herself to go on. "He's willing to die for me, Genma, but I'm willing to die for him too. This is who we are, right? I won't just leave him there and I believe you won't either. If I wasn't there, would you have left him?"

Genma swept the headband off his hair and ran his shaking hand through the wet strands. "No. But I promised him…"

"We're only six minutes away. Even if they hurt him, we can still save him. Help me. Will you help me? I don't have time to find the right thing to say to convince you so you need to get onboard right now. I know you, Genma. You won't forgive yourself if you don't help me. I'd rather die than leave him there. I know you would too."

Genma's lips turned down in sad acknowledgement. And then he threw up his hands. "Fuck it. I wouldn't look good with gray hair anyway. Tell me what to do."

Sakura nodded and swallowed hard. "My shoulder needs to be set. Grab my hand and my bicep."

Genma's trembling fingers gripped her wrist and arm firmly. "Is this going to hurt?"

"It might, but even if I scream, don't stop until you feel it pop in." Sakura gave him a directed gaze, willing him to be tough through the quick procedure. Genma could be quite the softy when it came to women and pain.

He nodded in response, but tightened his mouth.

"All right, Genma. I'll explain it first because I may not be able to talk during. You'll need to rotate my arm slowly outward until you feel resistance while lifting my arm a little at the bicep. If you feel it pop in, bring my arm back to my front. Got it?"

"Okay. I can do this. Okay, Sakura. Okay."

She scowled. "Calm down, Genma. Just get on with it."

He nodded as he tightened his fingers and then began to swing her arm slowly out as he squeezed her bicep against her side and lifted. She felt the urge to arch her back with the pain radiating through the limb and she grunted out her pain. He moved it a little further and there was a sudden pop as the joint snapped back into place.

Sakura choked out a gasp and fell forward against Genma's shoulder, huffing heavily as stars danced in her periphery.

"Is it in?!"

"Yes…" she whispered, composing herself as chakra and endorphins rushed through to her fingers, working away at dulling the residual pain. It felt monumentally better. "Okay, let's go."

"Wait." Genma spread his fingers out in front of her chest and tilted his chin toward her. "We do this my way. You aren't field trained like I am. The medic is always back up. Reserve what chakra you have left because if we do find him, he'll need it. We have a little time so let's plan this properly. They were giving us fifteen minutes to get away. That gives us about six or seven now before we have to contact them. Kakashi will wait for our signal."

"I'll agree to anything that takes us back. Just tell me what to do."

Genma switched his mic channel for access to the base camp as he stared through her. "Lieutenant Shiranui to base."

" _Base, go ahead_."

"Lieutenant Hatake has been taken prisoner in an enemy encampment near checkpoint three. Requesting a team to retrieve him."

A slight paused ensued as they waited anxiously for an answer.

" _Negative. Return to camp. Base will begin negotiation."_

"Damn it, they aren't going to negotiate for him. Some asshole wants his eye. I'm requesting a squad to retrieve him. He'll be dead in ten minutes." Genma was half-shouting now.

" _Lieutenant!"_ Ibiki's voice boomed through the earpiece. _"You know I can't approve that."_

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Genma hissed. "God damn it, Ibiki. We're going back in and I don't give a shit if you kill me when I get back. I need a squad for backup though. He's going to be injured and we'll need help."

" _Who's we?_!" Ibiki rumbled angrily.

"Shiranui, where are you?" a woman's voice cut in to the transmission. Genma's mouth dropped open. "Anko?" he choked out.

"Switch to another channel and let's coordinate. Do you remember the address of my first apartment?"

"Ah, yeah. Got it." She meant channel eight and he flicked to it immediately, cutting off Ibiki's continuing rant. "You on, Anko?"

"This is Hyuuga Neji, Genma. Shan has been sent back with another squad and we've returned to help with reinforcements. Give us your location."

Sakura got up from the ground and paced, grateful and shocked and frightened about what was happening all around them. What was Kakashi doing? Was he still alive or did they kill him immediately? The thought made her breathe out another sound of anguish as she squeezed her eyes shut. The planning was taking too long.

"Twelve clicks inside checkpoint three."

" _It's your lucky day, Shiranui. We're two clicks inside the border on the east side of checkpoint three. ETA seven minutes," Anko added._

"That's cutting it close. Make it six if you can."

" _Roger."_

Sakura grabbed Genma's arm and squeezed. "That's too long…"

He shook his head. "It's not. They gave us fifteen minutes to get out. They'll hold him there until we radio back that we're safe. We can probably stretch it two or three minutes. As long as no one followed or is currently looking for us, we can wait here. And as long as he doesn't do anything until we radio, we'll make it. We can't do this without reinforcements because we are both skating low on chakra. You agreed we'd do it my way so shut up and let me think."

Weakly she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "Okay, Genma…" She felt his hand smooth over her damp hair.

"We'll get him back."

* * *

Kakashi stood among a few men in the center of the camp. He was silent and calm, but still held the kunai up.

Listening to Sakura scream for him had been the hardest seconds of his life. It took all he had not to turn and go back to her but that would have killed them all. The pain in her voice stabbed him and made him a firm believer in the cruelty of the life of a ninja. But soon, it wouldn't matter. He'd happily give his life for her - in this he was completely resigned.

She'd been something he'd never had before. Finally he belonged somewhere, had some happiness. Denying it from himself for so long had made it almost impossible to see joy until it was already upon him. She loved him, and he loved her more than words could articulate.

 _"If only we had more time, Sakura…"_

"You can lower your hand. I'm not going to stop them from leaving. I'll ask that we put you in restraints now, though. It's been fifteen minutes. I'm sure your friends will be at the border soon," The Hawk said from right beside Kakashi as he pulled a cigarette pack out of his pocket.

Kakashi looked up at the drizzly rain blanketing the air in curtains of mist around them. He lowered his hands down and they were immediately clasped in front of him in leather restraints.

"Can you spare one?" Kakashi asked calmly, looking at the lit cigarette.

He pulled one out and handed it to Kakashi, who raised it to his lips with his bound hands. The Hawk flicked his lighter, but Kakashi shook his head. "Could you get me the one out of my pack?" he asked.

The Hawk nodded. Reaching into the pack on Kakashi's waist, the enemy pulled out the silver Zippo lighter with the engraved initials on it. Turning it in the campfire light, he admired the sleek, expensive casing.

"S.A," he said as he handed it to Kakashi.

"Sarutobi Asuma," Kakashi said quietly as he flicked it open and lit the cigarette. Taking a long inhalation, he let the numbness of the nicotine fill his lungs and relax him minutely.

"I've heard of him," The Hawk mumbled.

It must be four or so in the morning, Kakashi reasoned quietly as he scanned the cloud filled sky for a look at the stars. But he was sorely disappointed. For now, all could he do to stay focused on the inky clouds and think of her. Knowing that he would never feel her against him again was almost enough to make him break down.

 _But not yet._

There was more to do before he let them take him from this world - just a little more to do.

* * *

"What are you going to do if he's really bad? You're low on chakra," Genma mumbled as he paced, trying to tick off every scenario in his active brain.

"I know. But we're getting reinforcements. Hopefully there'll be a medic with them." Sakura ripped apart a leaf as she also paced nervously. "How long has it been?"

"Hah," a voice said from nearby. "We made in six." It was Anko, and Sakura had never ever been so grateful to see someone she disliked in all her short life. Her tired green eyes scanned the team which was rounded out by Kiba and Akamaru, Neji, and Anko. Just a small group with no medic.

"Shit," Sakura hissed.

"What's the plan, Genma?" Neji asked as Akamaru sniffed around him and moved through the small area they were situated in, vying for a scent.

Genma took a deep breath. "Simple. We go right back the way we came and meet up with him if he's managed to escape. If we get all the way to the camp and he's still there, we'll have to extract if possible. I can explain what happened on the way. But for now, we need to start moving closer. It's been fifteen minutes. I need to radio them and tell them we're over the border. Once I do that, everything starts…"

Everyone nodded and began checking their weapons. Sakura took a kunai from Neji, nodding a thank you as she pressed the cold iron ring at the end of the weapon against her trembling lips. Her eyes locked onto Genma as he flicked the dial on his radio to the channel Kakashi was on.

"Shit," Genma hissed. He could hear his friend's voice immediately hailing him among the static. "Go ahead, Kakashi." All eyes turned to Genma.

" _Genma, what's your status?"_ Kakashi asked calmly.

"We're safe, my friend. We're coming back for you." Genma found he couldn't sound normal if he tried.

" _Thank you, but that won't be necessary. Take care of Sakura for me. Don't let her suffer."_

"You aren't dying today," Genma said earnestly. His teeth clenched in anger and frustration. "Double back, okay? Do you hear me?"

" _I'll see you around sometime, Genma_."

"Kakashi!" Genma growled as all he heard in reply was static in his ear now. "Fuck!" he yelled into the night.

"Let's go!" Anko spat out with impatience and panic. Genma didn't have to be told twice.

* * *

Kakashi eyed the broken radio on the ground and the smirk across the Hawk's face.

"You seem very pleased with yourself," Kakashi observed calmly.

"I like winning," he responded, his eyes fixed on the currently unusable sharingan. "But we both know you won't make this so easy for me. I guess we don't have to wait anymore. Make your move."

Kakashi nodded. "Perceptive."

"Before we start though, Hatake, how did you get it? Perhaps the same way I'll get it now?" the Hawk asked as he flicked his cigarette into the wet grass.

"No. It was a gift. I've held it above everything else in my life and I'll be dead before I let you have it." Kakashi tossed his half-finished cigarette away as well while blowing out some smoke into the drizzly air.

"Dead is fine with me," the Hawk said darkly. He glanced down to see Kakashi's restraints drop to the ground, another kunai already in his fingers. "I expected nothing less from the son of the White Fang."

* * *

Genma, Anko, Neji, Sakura and Kiba darted along, following Akamaru's amazing sense of smell while managing to avoid the enemy so far. They moved through the trees, but Anko grew impatient with Genma's slow, chakraless speed.

"Is the camp this way?" Anko hissed.

"I really don't think we'll find him there. If we do, he'll be dead," Genma said half-heartedly.

"You know, if we get caught on this side of the border, we'll all be dead," Anko growled.

"Yeah." Genma replied as if he wasn't listening, or didn't care in the least.

"What do you think he'll do?"

"I think he'll try to fight it out, and I think he'll die. Even if he gets away, he has to outrun forty men. And then on the off chance he evades them, he'll have to hide in enemy territory because he hasn't got enough chakra to go far. He'll likely be severely injured and it won't give us much time to find him – and that's if he did in fact double back." Genma whispered. "Sakura is out of chakra and you've got no medic."

Anko read Genma's stern look of concentration, disliking his negative doom-speak. The spike of fear rode through her stomach as she realized the impact of Genma's words. _The Copy-nin dead?_ Never in her wildest imagination could she fathom that happening. She glanced back at Sakura struggling and fighting to keep up with the fresh group. From the hazy look she was giving everything, Anko surmised that Sakura might actually have a concussion. The fact that she was out of chakra didn't bode well.

"Come on Genma, you're too slow," Anko pressed, feeling the tingle over her skin of all the obstacles that would prevent their mediocre and poorly planned rescue. "I'm moving ahead with Kiba and Akamaru. Stay with Neji, and you and Sakura follow our trail."

* * *

Kakashi ran hard, panting with pain and fatigue as his breath came out in wisps of silver amid the warm drizzle. Shouts and footfalls sounded out from everywhere as they tried to close in on him.

Even though The Hawk knew what Kakashi had been planning, their fight had been a brief one. The enemy Jounin had wanted the sharingan, and it was exactly what Kakashi gave him in the end – though not in the way the Hawk had planned. The man had underestimated Kakashi's remaining chakra. That small amount he had left was enough to cloud the enemy's mind long enough to put his last kunai through his throat. Abject confusion flooded the Hawk's brown eyes as his final breath gurgled from his open mouth. The few men who had witnessed the lightning fast action were stunned to see their leader fall in a heap at Kakashi's feet. Sometimes disbelief was a great ally in battle.

Even Kakashi had surprised himself with his quickness and stealth on his retreat, being so drained of energy. But the eye was something he could never give up - not to someone like the Hawk, not to anyone. He'd die first. Adrenaline had been kind and given him enough strength to run. However, the larger battle ensued as Kakashi tried to make his escape. He was liberally pelted with kunai and shuriken. Even now there were some still imbedded in his side, stomach, and legs as he struggled to remain standing.

The blood was coursing down his pant legs in thick wet rivulets. It was more than enough for them to track him if they had someone with scenting ability, and made it truly impossible to get away. All his choices trickled away, so finding some low brush, Kakashi finally fell down and crawled under it to try to hide for a little while.

He certainly didn't need long. In his numb limbs and hazy thoughts, he could tell it was all ending anyway. His body was cold and weak but strangely enough, the pain was dulling away. All that was left was encompassing fatigue.

Slowly, Kakashi straightened his arm above his head, dangling the heavy kunai above the sharingan with his last ounce of strength. No matter what, he would never let them have it.

As his hand shook with the weight of the weapon, he found it difficult to stay like that. The sharp edge teetered above his eye ominously, the steel point calling for him to end his life the way it should have ended long ago. His thumb ached and shook in the centre of the ring.

Without knowing why, Kakashi laughed - just a slight breath of sound. It was almost comical – sadly, pathetically ironic. In the last few seconds of his life, feeling the death he'd always wanted stroking him with cold fingers, Kakashi knew he wanted to live.

 _"Sakura…I want to stay with you. I would have given you everything you ever asked of me. Forgive me for making promises to you that I couldn't keep. I wanted to keep them so badly. I wanted to spend my life making you happy. In the end, I've caused you more pain."_

 _"I have never loved any woman, and I loved you."_

 _"Forgive me."_

The weight of the kunai became too much and his arm fell to the side as his eyes slid closed. It felt so good to give in. Shallow breaths came from his slightly parted lips.

It was coming fast.

Strangely though, instead of blackness and quiet, he found different scents filling his nose – able to place them all right away. They almost brought tears to his eyes. Konoha leaf tobacco, Rin's perfume and the weapon oil his father bought were so distinct. He smelled the scent of Sasuke's fire jutsu and the sweet shampoo his mother always used.

He tried to smile, but he was too tired.

Finally, a faint sound reached his ears - a laugh, a boy's laugh - Obito's familiar long-forgotten laugh rang in his ears as the feel of the wet forest ground on his back disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

Fated Alternative – Chapter 22

The theft of A Life

* * *

Anko rushed behind Kiba as the frantic dog moved almost too fast to keep up with, but when he abruptly halted, she could feel the fear shiver up her spine. Akamaru circled an area, huffing so loud that they would likely be caught soon if he didn't calm down.

"What is it, boy?" Kiba hushed out, crouching down and watching the large white dog attack a trail.

Akamaru gave a soft growl near a tree.

"It's him, he says," Kiba acknowledged urgently, but seemed to be stuck fast in his current spot.

"Move!" Anko snapped, checking Kiba out of her way and darting to the tree Akamaru was growling beside. Later she would admit that she was absolutely unprepared for what she would find. A discarded bloody kunai was the first thing she noticed, and as she moved glacially in a wide circle around the tree, Anko could soon after see the pale, half open hand next to it - blood covered, and horribly still.

As she shuffled closer still, unusual tears pricking her eyes, Anko stopped and crouched down to look on the ashen, lifeless face of the man she'd known for more years than she could recall. "Oh no," she choked out, slapping her hands over her open mouth. "Oh, Kakashi…"

"Is he…?" Kiba asked, finally moving closer. He stood behind Anko and gazed at the expired body of the famous Hatake Kakashi. Blood thickly coated his vest and pants, and there were gashes and rips throughout his clothes. His head was turned to the side, mouth slightly parted, and eyes mercifully shut. Gently, Kiba put a hand on Anko's shoulder to find her shaking violently as soft sobs began to whimper from her. It was only perhaps five seconds they stood like that, but it felt like an hour.

Sudden footfalls pulled them from their shock and grief as Neji and Genma arrived, huffing and breathing heavy. Sakura was sure to be right behind.

Anko turned and looked at Genma as the growing early-morning light began to reveal the horror they had stumbled upon. "He's dead, Genma. We were too late," she said with no pretense, tears sliding down her cheeks and dripping from her chin.

"What?!" Genma lurched forward, nudging between Kiba and Anko so that his own eyes could verify the truth. "Kakashi…" he whispered painfully.

It was then that Sakura arrived, choking out heavy breaths and sweating. It'd surprised Genma that she could manage to continue with everything that had happened, but when her feet hit the ground behind them, their stunned and weary faces told her everything.

"Show me!" she shouted. Neji hushed her as there were enemy all around still looking for Kakashi. But she didn't wait for an answer as she barrelled through everyone.

Anko was visibly shaking with Kiba holding her arm tightly, ensuring her weak knees kept her upright. Genma's eyes had filled with wetness and Neji was staring at the ground. But Sakura wasn't willing to let him go as easily as they were. If there was even a minute chance to save him, she would give everything she had left to try.

She moved forward but Genma grabbed her arms. "Sakura, don't..."

"Move," she hissed, pushing Genma hard as she rushed through everyone to kneel at the side of Kakashi's lifeless form. He was lying on his back – kunai and shuriken in his legs and stomach. Blood was everywhere. She hovered her hand over his chest, employing a tiny amount of chakra to check him. A shot of fear ran through her to see that his heart had well and truly stopped. As gently as her medical skills could manage, she began to draw her waning chakra around his heart to pump it rhythmically.

"Neji!" she called urgently as she worked. He rushed forward and she gave him a quick glance. "Please, lend me your chakra. I'm almost out and I'll need as much as you can spare."

The Hyuuga genius acquiesced quickly even though Genma was quietly objecting - mumbling about time wasting, chakra burns, and too much pain. She understood his need to be realistic about the death of his old companion, to reason that it was too late and that anything she did would be futile. Her own heart wasn't there yet.

Neji hovered beside Sakura as the trembling fingers of her other hand trailed over Kakashi's cheek. "He's still warm, Neji."

"He's bled out, Sakura. He died from blood loss," Kiba reasoned. "You can't help him. We have no blood to give him."

"No," Sakura corrected adamantly, focused on keeping his heart beating. With the slow forced beats, Kakashi began to bleed. "It's chakra drain. He used every bit of his chakra and it eventually stopped his heart – just like in his fight with Pain years ago. Neji will give it to me and I'll give it to him, and we'll restart his heart together. There's only one chance at this."

Neji nodded with no consideration of objecting.

Sakura met his pearly Hyuuga eyes with determination. "Ready?"

Again Neji nodded, silently taking every command she was giving him and obeying absolutely.

"Put your hands on my back and force in some chakra. It's going to hurt me and I might make some sounds, but don't stop. This jutsu – I've never tried it on a person. It might hurt all of us."

"Its fine," Neji said easily, taking a quick position behind her and crouching on the balls of his feet. "Tell me when you're ready."

"Genma," Sakura called out without turning to him. She didn't wait for him to answer. "If this works, you have to stop his bleeding any way you can. He won't have long if we don't." Then she sucked in a breath and nodded. "Let's go Neji."

The pain was almost immediate as Neji lit his byakugan and rapidly forced chakra directly into her highway, making her feel like someone was pushing hot mercury through her veins. How lucky to have a byakugan user there at that moment as no one else could have done it so efficiently or rapidly. However, it burned and twisted inside her, feeling foreign and wrong. She groaned and gasped softly as it pulsed through to fill her body. It took less than twenty seconds, but when Sakura felt it stinging through her fingers to wrap around Kakashi's heart, she placed both hands together and performed the medical jutsu that Tsunade had made her promise to never use on a person. Death was an absolute and it wasn't right to play with it – but in this case, Sakura would face any consequences.

She molded the chakra heavily and then burst it into his body – every single ounce she had left and everything Neji had given her blew through her fingers and into Kakashi's chest and highway, making his limbs jerk once and hard. She shrieked as it thrust out of her just as Neji was propelled backwards with the force.

And that was the end. Dark spots began to close in around her eyes as her own heart sped up rapidly and then suddenly felt like it stopped, making her collapse on top of Kakashi's unmoving body. She couldn't lift herself off of him, couldn't even open her eyes again.

"Sakura? Hey, you okay?" she heard Genma whisper. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could hear Anko asking Neji the same questions. Genma's warm hands grasped her biceps but let go again when Akamaru growled in warning.

"There's enemy approaching," Kiba said. "They must have heard that."

Sakura was gone. The voices of her compatriots began to sound far away and muddled. She was exhausted beyond reasoning and her body wouldn't move anymore. Pain seared her hands and back, but she didn't care.

As the darkness was coming, consciousness slipping away, she could hear the most perfect, welcome sound she had ever heard. Under her heavy head, her cheek pressed to his chest, Sakura could hear the faint, weak sound of Kakashi's heart beating on its own.

* * *

"Genma!" Sakura shouted frantically through her dry throat. She was lying on her back somewhere warm and comfortable, and the familiar scent of old canvas and sterility filled her nose.

"Genma!" she called again, finally opening her tired eyes. The canvas med-tent shook gently with the wind above, but the brightness of the sun behind the trees was casting drifting leafy shadows everywhere to create the feeling that the entire world was swaying. She lay still for a moment getting her bearings and acclimatizing to her new surroundings. Just a moment ago, she was in the forest with Kakashi lying below her.

Upon inspection, she could tell she was dressed in a light hospital gown under a thin standard blanket, and there was an I.V. hooked into her arm. It didn't bode well.

"Genma! Genma!"

"Easy, Sakura," Yumi said quietly, suddenly hovering over her while leaning on the rail of Sakura's hospital bed.

Sakura struggled to lift a heavy hand to her aching forehead only to find it wrapped lightly in bandages. "Help me up," she demanded frantically but Yumi was shaking her head as she pressed a gentle hand to Sakura's shoulder.

"Stay still," Yumi commanded lightly. "Genma is coming. He wanted to see you as soon as you woke up. Just lie here. You're too weak to sit up on your own and you aren't fully healed. You had a concussion. You've got chakra burns on your hands and arms and down your back. You've been asleep while I've been healing them for two days."

"Two days? Kakashi… Where is Kakashi?" Sakura whimpered, her brow tight.

"Oi, Yumi," Genma mumbled suddenly from behind the other medic. "I'll take it from here."

Yumi gave Sakura a sympathetic look before she shuffled away to let Genma take her place.

For a long moment, they stared at each other. Genma looked clean and healthy, his ANBU uniform replaced with a black jounin shirt. Finally he sighed and let the tension leave his stiff shoulders as he took a casual lean on the bedrail.

"You gave us a scare, Sakura. You passed right out after that jutsu. Your colour just drained away. For a minute, I thought you died."

"What happened? Where is he?" Sakura demanded, growing more and more agitated by the second while trying to use her sore hands to pull herself up.

"Stop that," Genma grunted. "I'm going to tell you everything and you're going to relax and listen." When she reluctantly settled back down, he brushed his fingers through Sakura's hair in slow sweeps. "Yumi says that you aren't to get too excited because of your injuries. Okay? So I'll talk and you'll be still."

Sakura felt her heart speeding up, but she nodded and swallowed hard.

"All right then. You probably remember doing your jutsu and then you passed out. You went totally pale and limp. You were out like a light. Unfortunately, that's the moment the enemy came upon us. There weren't many but we had to have a quick skirmish before we could get our asses out of there. Me, Neji and Kiba fought while Anko worked to stop Kakashi's bleeding. We couldn't get it fully stopped but it was enough to move."

"Where is he?"

Genma's lips tightened and he put a finger up. "No talking."

Sakura let out a jagged breath and nodded a quick jerk of her head. The waiting was killing her and she began to wonder if he was preparing her for the worst.

"Kiba and Akamaru carried Kakashi and they went on ahead because they were fresh and could move fast. I carried you and it took a lot longer because I'd taken a kunai to the calf. It was a long fucking limp but luckily other teams had moved close to our position and met us inside the enemy border after hearing the radio exchange with Ibiki earlier. It was really damn lucky. We all needed help."

He brushed his fingers tenderly over Sakura's hair again. "He was in really bad shape, Sakura. You restarted his heart, but he'd lost a lot of blood."

She felt the sting of hot tears begin to fill her eyes. She again nodded in understanding.

"Come here. Let me help you to sit up for a minute," Genma offered, moving a hand behind her neck and stretching his arm over her to slide around her back. Sakura put her bandaged hand around his arm and worked with him to sit up. When she made it all the way up, weak and aching everywhere, she felt Genma's hand move up into her hair to cradle her heavy head while the other stayed wrapped around her back in support. He turned her head to guide her gaze toward the other side of the room and that's when she saw him.

Lying in a hospital bed near the other wall was the pale, sleeping form of Kakashi. He was hooked to an I.V. and a heart monitor beeped softly, checking his pulse and blood pressure. An endotracheal tube was down his throat where the little-used ventilator machine was hooked up to help him breathe. The sight was so welcome and horrifying at the same time. After two days, he still wasn't breathing on his own.

"The squads that found us had two medics. They worked on him right away and got him back here immediately. He's been transfused and all the injuries are doing well. No infections."

There were no words for that moment. Instead, Sakura let a soft sound of pain out as she stared at Kakashi through watery unfocused eyes. Genma's arms tightened around her as her chin fell on his shoulder. Her body hitched with her silent sobs as she watched Kakashi for as long as she could.

"He hasn't woken up and he still needs help to breathe. They have him heavily sedated because he isn't strong enough to take to Konoha and there wasn't anyone here with the skills to help him."

"I'll help him, Genma," she sniffed out. "I'll save him."

Genma laughed softly as he stroked her hair. "I know you will. He's been waiting for you, Sweetheart."

* * *

Sakura was out of bed later that day, much to Yumi's objections, but there was no way she could stay still when he was alive and lying ten feet away. Having fully replenished chakra after two days of sleep, Sakura quickly worked to heal her own hands – leaving them imperfect but usable. She spent a lot of energy holding herself up and sat on stools or in her desk chair most of the evening. Her body ached in every joint – from being thrown to the ground or blasting Neji's chakra through her body – she couldn't say.

She spent an hour scanning Kakashi for injury and issues that may have escaped other examinations, finding a few minor things. And then for the next, she leaned on the railing and stared at him, running her fingers through his soft hair and feeling the warmth of his bare chest against her palm. What a nice feeling to have life in his body again. She traced the twisted scar from his shoulder down with shaking fingertips.

"You scared me, Kakashi," she whispered and it sounded loud in the empty med tent – only the mechanical breathing of the machine next to him making any noise. Night was growing outside and the med tent was heavily lit with the humming fluorescent light overhead. Sakura found it harsh because it displayed how pale and close to death Kakashi still looked.

"How is his brain?" Yumi asked quietly, making Sakura jump a little as she hadn't noticed her entrance.

"It's active. I can't know how long it was deprived of oxygen but it has good activity. After Genma radioed him that we were coming back, it took us seven minutes to find him and another few to revive him. It was cold which would have helped. And he was still warm to the touch. It may have taken a number of minutes for him to escape the enemy and then I don't know how long he was lying there –alone… and dying…" she said quietly, voice hitching, and her eyes filling with tears again.

"Don't worry, Sakura," Yumi assured, putting a warm hand on Sakura's back. "He's one of the strongest men I've ever seen. And he's getting care from the best medic."

Sakura glanced back at her and managed a half-smile. "Thanks." And then she focused back on Kakashi's pale, handsome face. She ran her finger over his scarred eyelid and gently lifted it to see the sharingan burning red underneath. It was a welcome sight to know that he was producing chakra. Neji's strong chakra would have been inside Kakashi's body for a while, but she could tell that he was making his own too.

While she watched him, their last desperate and sad conversation replayed over and over in her head. She recalled Genma's hands pulling her away and Kakashi's back as he disappeared from view. Just the memory of it rippled fear through her stomach.

What if she'd passed out as Genma carried her? What if she'd been brought to the camp and no one had gone back for him? What if they were ten minutes later? Even then, he would not have been saved. Fate had been so cruel to him so many times over his tragic life that maybe it had been their turn to win for once. But seeing his chest lurch up with each unnatural push of air into his lungs by the machine beside him, she started to worry that they had only postponed the inevitable.

* * *

"Let's unhook the ventilator and see how it goes," Sakura mumbled to Yumi as she prepared herself for what came next. The early morning sun on the third day since Sakura awoke was making the med tent hot, but the open door flap allowed a cool breeze to keep the air fresh.

Yumi was on the other side of Kakashi, holding the manual hand ventilator. Sakura swallowed hard and unhooked the tube that attached to the one going down Kakashi's throat. The two medics held their breath as they listened intently.

Kakashi shook a little and then his chest rose on its own, the gentle sound of air going in and out of the tube made Sakura weak in the knees. "Thank goodness," she said quietly as she watched his chest steadily and naturally rising and falling with strong breaths.

"Take the tube out?" Yumi asked. And Sakura nodded, doing just that as gently as she ever had.

The blood pressure cuff flared to life, and hissed quietly as it deflated in stages and hums. Sakura glanced at the machine to see that his blood pressure was on the low side, but within a tolerable range.

"He's doing so much better," Yumi said happily. "Vitals are good, wounds are healing. He'll be back to normal in no time."

Sakura nodded as she swept her fingertips through his messy bangs. "Let's reduce the sedation. I think he's ready to wake up. Let's draw it back just enough for him to wake, but let's keep him hazy for a day or two longer so that he doesn't try to do too much."

"Okay." Yumi slowed the drip and glanced at Sakura from time to time, trying to look positive. It was a good sign that Kakashi was breathing on his own, but they had no way to know if he had suffered too much oxygen deprivation in those harrowing minutes between life and his death – and she could admit to herself that he actually had been dead when she found him and that she had stolen him back.

"Now we wait," Sakura sighed.

* * *

Kakashi could hear the sound of rustling leaves and the thick heat of a blanket on his bare heavy limbs. For now he couldn't move a single muscle. His eyes remained closed as he tried to make sense of what was happening. Was this death? He could hear Obito and smell Rin a few minutes ago, but now all he could smell was Sakura. Was she dead too? Had it all been for nothing?

"Hey, he's waking," Genma's smooth voice said quietly nearby.

Kakashi managed to turn his head slightly, but his eyes still refused to open. Instead he felt like he should just lie still in the encompassing dull haze in which he found himself. He was utterly exhausted.

"Kakashi?" Sakura's sweet voice called in a whisper. She sounded the same as she did when they were wrapped around each other in bed. It was a brilliant and welcome sound, and he waited for her to call him again to make sure it was real. He decided he wouldn't try to open his eyes until she called him once more.

"Kakashi, squeeze my hand if you can hear me," Sakura said a little louder and he could feel the pleasurable coolness of her fingers pressing into his palm. Almost automatically he closed his fingers around hers and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles twice before losing resolve. She had the loveliest skin. He heard her laugh softly then.

"Damn, Hatake, open your fucking eyes," Genma growled, but Sakura immediately shushed him.

"Give him time. He's still a little sedated."

Sedated? In that second, Kakashi realized quite abruptly that he was definitely no longer lying on the wet ground in enemy territory with weapons protruding from every limb. With great effort, he forced open his right eye just a crack to see the brown of the canvas tent around him, and the fuzzy outlines of two people he knew almost as well as he knew himself.

It took at least two full minutes before he could clearly focus on the woman with the pink hair on his right. Her green eyes were intense and frightened as their gazes locked. He wanted to say her name so badly, but his throat felt dry and tight, like someone had scraped him all the way down his esophagus. The feeling wasn't unfamiliar as he'd woken up like that more than once. And then the question came to his head. "How many days?" he wondered, but couldn't will his body to cough up the words. The same questions every time – how many days; who was left; why wasn't he dead?

With great effort, he lifted his hand and gently tapped at the base of his throat.

"I'm sure it hurts. Don't try to speak," Sakura instructed. "I'll get you some water." She darted over to the sink and returned with a paper cup with a protruding bendy straw. She brought it to his dry lips and he took a few sips. It felt like razor blades going down, but it helped him to clear his throat.

He swallowed a few times and then managed in the quietest whisper, "Am I dead?"

Sakura's eyes filled with tears and she laughed with sadness and relief. She ran her knuckles down his cheek. "No, Hatake Kakashi. You are most definitely alive."

* * *

"Looks like you're getting out today," Yumi said happily as Kakashi sat up in his hospital bed while she took his blood pressure. "Hm. Still a little low but tolerable. How is your pain level?"

"I'm fine," Kakashi mumbled. "Get me out of this bed."

Yumi gave Kakashi a stern glare as she shook her head. "Always in a rush, Lieutenant. Let's look at the facts. Your heart stopped and you were shocked alive with a monumental taboo jutsu. You were punctured by all manner of weapon and had lost at least half of the volume of blood in your body. You were kept alive on a ventilator for four days and you woke up asking if you were dead. Yes, Lieutenant. You. Were. Dead. Being patient a few more minutes while I complete my work-up should be a no-brainer so zip it and let me finish."

"Testy," Kakashi grumbled. "Fine." He stared at the flap of a door that lead into the back of the med tent to where Sakura resided. "Where's Uchiha?" He was dismayed to see for the second day in a row that she was nowhere to be found. After he'd awoken three days before, she hovered like a mother hen the first day, working on his wounds, checking him and watching him every second she could stay awake. She'd leave a light kiss on his forehead or on his lips if she had to leave his side. And when she couldn't stay awake, she would sit on a high stool and lay her head down on the side of his bed to sleep. The next morning after that, he woke to find her staring at him with tired eyes, and she didn't look happy. Now that he was better, she seemed like she was avoiding him all together.

"Oh," Yumi mumbled nonchalantly. "I think she's doing some rounds in the tents for the men who were injured in the battles but are resting in their own bunks. There were a ton of bad injuries. It's wearing her out. I'm sure she'll show up sooner or later."

"Hm." Kakashi frowned at her.

"Okay, you look good enough for rest in your own tent, I think." She lowered the hydraulics on the bed and dropped the metal rail on the side. Then she swept over to the counter at the back and brought back some clothes for him to get dressed in – standard black pants, shoes, and a black shirt. "You can go after you get dressed. Come back if you have any pain or get lightheaded. Sakura said you are permitted to walk to the mess tent, shower tent, and your own tent. But – and she was scarily adamant about this – absolutely no work. None. You need to be as lazy as possible until she clears you. She said if she catches you near the Shed, you are toast."

"Ah," Kakashi sighed and grabbed up the shirt.

Even though Yumi had released him, Kakashi wasn't prepared for how weak his body actually had become. His steps were slow and measured, and as people happily came to talk to him with relief in their faces, he could only yawn his greetings. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to be in his own bed but the sudden sight of pink hair ducking into a tent down the row gave him a desire to hold on just a little longer.

He hovered patiently, waiting for Sakura to come back out. He grinned as he listened to her giving orders while speaking so gently to the injured man in the tent. She really was a superior medic…

When she finally emerged, the shock in her wide green eyes was apparent as she caught sight of him standing there.

"Hi," he said calmly.

Sakura looked around at everything but him, the corners of her mouth lowering to a tight line before she reluctantly walked over. "Hi."

"What's going on?"

Sakura glanced at the row of tents beside them, gesturing toward them. "I'm just doing some rounds on the men with injuries. Most are healing well so it's just check-ups." Then she looked at the bag of supplies in her hand.

"That's not what I mean."

"I know…" Her lovely green eyes trailed up his black shirt and stopped at his chin. "I'm just busy right now."

"We should talk." He raised his silver eyebrows up in question.

She nodded absently, her gaze moving to the side of him. "Get some rest, Kakashi. You look so tired."

Kakashi dipped his head to make her meet his eyes. "How would you know?"

She visibly swallowed as her shaking fingers swept the hair from her mouth that the breeze had blown over her face. Her eyes were wide, full of emotion. She reached up timidly and skimmed a hand over his bicep gently before shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I have to go. But… we do need to talk. There are some things that really need to be said."

"Ah," he breathed out. The exchange was too exhausting to continue so he waited for her to begin moving before he turned and continued on to his own tent. In all that had happened, something had upset her to the point that she really was avoiding him. All he could think about for two days was finally putting his arms around her and sleeping against her warm body. Now it seemed that little desire was lost.

He dragged the rest of the way through the rows and rows of tents until he came to his own small home. Genma was sitting on a wooden stool outside his own, enjoying a coffee with his shirt off.

"Aren't you cold?" Kakashi asked as he passed lethargically.

"Hey, you bastard. They let you out, hm?" Genma set his mug on the grass and quickly got up to wander over and stand toe to toe with Kakashi, effectively blocking him from entering his tent. He put his strong hand firmly on Kakashi's shoulder. "Now I'm going to say something. And it's going to be weird and uncomfortable for us both, but it has to happen. So just let it happen."

Kakashi felt the corner of his mouth rising a little with the coming smirk. Even after the entire ordeal of the last week or so, Genma would always be Genma.

"I'm prepared," Kakashi mumbled with a hint of amusement.

"Are you sure you're ready to receive this?"

Kakashi nodded, fighting a grin as he opened both eyes to look at his friend. "Get on with it so I can go lie down."

Genma put his other hand on Kakashi's other shoulder and locked his eyes with him. "Okay. I just want you to know…"

Kakashi's eyebrows rose.

"…that Sakura shouted for me first when she woke up. Sorry, buddy."

With a scoff, Kakashi brushed Genma's hand away, squashing down the laugh because it would probably hurt. He wandered into his tent, sensing the tall jounin following behind him to stop at the doorway. With more effort than he would have liked, Kakashi sat down and then swung his body onto the low cot and closed his eyes.

"You okay?" Genma asked from the crouch he took in the doorway.

"Hm. Sakura's upset. I just ran into her and she couldn't get away fast enough. I almost died and I'm beyond exhausted and she's giving me emotional bullshit at a time like this. I don't have the energy for it right now," Kakashi mumbled, pulling his blanket up over his shoulder.

"Women…" Genma huffed exaggeratedly, but then got up and came closer to sit beside Kakashi's cot, stretching his arms over his bent knees as he stared at the tents across the way through the open doorflap. "Although…"

Kakashi opened his eyes, turned his head, and creased his brow.

Genma fitted Kakashi a sheepish look. "You know, you did tell her you wanted to die."

"I never said I wanted to die."

"Not in so many words. I do recall something about being content to die though. Now that you're out of danger, she probably started to focus on what happened. She already lost one husband, Kakashi. She doesn't need another who has a death wish. I'm sure she's just sorting it all out in her head and needs some space. Sakura is an emotional creature"

Kakashi wanted to close his heavy eyes again as he stared at the dark ceiling of his own tent. "I'm not her husband."

Genma shrugged. "Don't you want to be?"

 _Did_ he want to be? Kakashi glanced sideways briefly at Genma, finding that statement held more concern than he had ever considered that it would. Did he want to be a husband? Really, he wasn't used to ever thinking about the future or making plans. In the last few years, he had lived day to day, expecting that soon enough it would end abruptly. Did he want to be her husband? Could he be?

In what he thought were his last moments, he knew he wanted to spend his life making her happy. If that entailed marriage, could he be that man?

"Well, my work here is done," Genma laughed out and then pushed himself up. "Kakashi," he said meaningfully, making the tired jounin's eyes look at him one last time. "I'm thankful you didn't die, my friend. I would have missed you."

Kakashi nodded and finally settled in for sleep. "Yeah, me too."

* * *

 _Dearest Naruto,_

 _I'm not sure if you've had the updates, but there was a major offensive here a number of days ago. There were so many injuries but luckily very few deaths. Not sure if you know this yet but Kakashi killed The Hawk. I remember seeing the stats in the bingo book a few years ago. I think we talked about his tracking ability and how scary it was. It's a long story and I hope one day soon I can tell you all of it over a coffee face to face._

 _There's been a lot going on over at the Shed so I think there is a major retaliation coming. I don't know how negotiations are as I haven't bothered to try to find out. I've just been on autopilot lately and it's working for me at the moment. I've been so tired. And I haven't been feeling very well. I have a headache I can't seem to get rid of. I'm an emotional basket case._

Sakura stared at the letter lying under the golden light of her desk lamp, tapping the pen next to it. She couldn't send that to Naruto. He didn't need to listen to her whine about feeling like crap. She'd been overworking lately as had all the medics so fatigue and becoming run down was part and parcel. Two medics had been given a week off to take a vacation after the intense healing and so there was a little slack to pick up. Sakura felt obliged to let the spent medics leave for a few days to refresh – everyone needed it at one time or another.

She scowled at the useless letter when a sudden wave of nausea came upon her. It was completely unexpected and she had to grab her garbage can before she puked all over the floor. She'd been feeling sick for a few days, but this was the first time she'd actually vomited. When the emesis mercifully ended, she breathed through the last dry heaves and then sat back to press a shaking hand against her forehead.

Pressing a hand to her forehead, she mumbled, "What the hell was that?"

There was no fever, which was a relief. There was too much to do to get sick now with everything going on. Perhaps something from the kitchens had upset her stomach so she molded chakra and pressed her fingers to her stomach, probing for food poisoning or bacteria that would cause the need to throw up.

Strangely there was nothing in her stomach or organs that she could find. It didn't make sense… It had to be one or the other…

For the longest time she sat there hovering her fingers over her abdomen, feeling the sudden tingle of anticipation ghosting across her skin with the very real excitement that something in her world was maybe about to change.

Very gently, she set her hands below her belly button and allowed the chakra to ease inside.

"Oh my god," she whispered, tears filling her eyes as she laughed and cried at the same time - soft sobs making her shoulders shake as she grinned so wide it hurt. She felt like an insane person but it had been too long since anything had made her so happy. A baby. A child. Kakashi's child.

By what she could feel with her chakra, and from what she knew of her body, it had likely happened in Yasuragi on that quiet few days of serenity. They'd made love so many times and perhaps she'd been so impassioned or excited that she'd let her chakra tie slip. As a medic, she'd never had to use conventional birth control – just a minute amount of chakra that she barely even had to think about…

For a moment, she wondered if she had actually done it on purpose – maybe given in to fate just a little.

Again she pushed her chakra into her abdomen, scanning the tiny little life there and getting butterflies.

Desperate desire to share the excitement with Kakashi burst in her chest but was immediately dampened by the same thoughts that had been keeping her up at night. He'd been so ready to die – so much more than to live. But this – perhaps it was the thing to bring him back to life, bring him back to the man she knew he was and to who she really needed him to be.

After a brush of her teeth, Sakura set off in a rush into the camp to find him.

The first place she thought to look was his tent. She walked abnormally fast, pushing aside the concern that he had said he was content to die. She loved him so much and not having him near her for the last couple of days had been hard – but she'd wanted to punish him for making her so upset, for saying that fighting it out to live with her wasn't enough for him. He'd chosen death so easily.

As the thoughts rolled around her active brain, she slowed as she reached the tent. Genma was sitting in his tent next door with his light on, playing cards on the grass with some random girl Sakura didn't know. Genma was in just his pants and the girl was down to her bra – typical Genma.

"Genma, where's Kakashi?" she called out from the door of Kakashi's dark tent.

"Hey, Sakura. Want to play poker?"

"Genma! Focus! Where is Kakashi?" She stuck her head in Genma's doorway.

The jounin forced himself up from the grass, giving his pretty companion a quick gesture of patience as he moved to his own doorway and struck a comfortable pose against the structure. "What's it to you?"

"What?! I need to find him." Sakura shook her head at what she guessed was him being playful.

But Genma's usual happy countenance had darkened. She'd never seen him look so perturbed. "As far as I see, it's none of your business. He's been lying in that tent for two days, uncomfortable and in pain, dragging his ass to the mess tent and back again exhausted, and you couldn't be bothered to come and see him even once. After what he was going to give up for you…"

"I – I know. I was being silly... I just wanted to punish him… for wanting to die. I was so upset. Has he been in a lot of pain?"

Genma scowled at her, crossing his arms. "Yup."

"Damn it," she huffed out, guilt-ridden. Why had she not come to see him? She craved him like a drug and yet she found her stubborn anger overtaking her desire to feel his arms around her. Sometimes her anger could be so counter intuitive. "Please, Genma. Where is he? It's so important that I see him."

With a diffident shrug, Genma turned back around, pulling his tent flap closed behind him.

"That was mean," his companion said quietly.

"Yeah, but she needed to hear it."

He was right. She did need to hear it. She had been cruel and after he was going to give up his own life to save her. What a fool she'd been. If it took the rest of her life, she'd make it up to him.

Drawing chakra to her feet, she darted to the shower tent and then the Shed on the off chance he was brave enough to defy her order of "no work." But he wasn't there. There was only one place left and so she moved to the mess tent.

No luck. Had he just disappeared?

Dejected, Sakura dragged slowly back to the med tent, her mind going eighteen different ways as she absently put her warm hand on her abdomen, excited about the tiny gift that she wanted to give to the man she loved.

When she climbed the two steps into the empty med tent, the sudden presence of another person made her jump.

Looking tired and weak, but definitely better, Kakashi was leaning on the side of the counter at the back, his feet leisurely crossed. He was dressed in the regular jounin wear of his black shirt and pants, but no vest. His silver headband was pulled over the precious sharingan, and his skin was still paler than she liked, but his colour was better. He looked so thin – just like he had when he'd arrived almost a year before.

"Kakashi," she whispered happily, overcome with finally seeing him.

"I said we should talk," he mumbled. "I'm up for it now so let's get this out of the way."

Obviously he would be mad. At that moment she didn't blame him in the least because she'd been foolish and pushed him away. "Yes, I want that. I have some things I want to tell you too. I've been looking for you everywhere."

Kakashi stood up, his face stern and even as he approached her. "I don't want to die, Sakura. I know this is why you're upset with me. I'm getting tired of having to reiterate this. You've avoided me for days. I'm not built to deal with that."

She nodded as she came toward him as well. "I'm so sorry, Kakashi. I was thinking about what happened a lot and it scared me. You were in such a bad state when you got here to the camp a year ago. I thought in time you would forget the thoughts of dying, but what you said to save me… You said you were content to die. It hurt me that I wasn't enough to make you want to try to live. Are you still content with that idea?"

"No. No, of course I'm not. I think it might be quite the opposite these days." His anger was dissolving.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't come to you. I was so scared you gave up. It would kill me to lose you again. I'm so frightened that you still think about it."

He touched her face, all perturbation gone because she was sad instead of mad like he'd expected. "At this moment, it's the furthest thing from my mind."

They were toe to toe and she could see he was so tired still. "I missed you so much these last couple of days. I regret it more than I can tell you. I wanted to be with you every second… Will you stay?" She was already lacing her fingers into his to tug him back into her quarters and he wasn't objecting at all. "I don't want you out of my sight ever again."

He didn't need to answer. His complete submission told her everything.

When they reached the futon, she began to help him with his clothes, easing his shirt over his head and slipping his headband off. "I've missed this with you so much. I want you in my bed every night from now on."

He laughed softly, all the fear and discomfort forgotten. "I want you badly too, Sakura, but I don't think I can yet."

"Of course. We'll wait. There's more to say anyway."

Sakura stripped off her own clothes, leaving just her panties and appreciating the way he watched her hungrily even though it was too soon for sex. They lay down on the futon and she kissed him for a long time, enjoying the feel of his cool fingers stroking her spine and his leg pushed between hers. He had always craved her warmth and it was so comfortable again being beneath her duvet together.

"I love you so much," she breathed out.

"I love you too," he whispered onto her collarbone, his eyes closed as he began to drift off to sleep.

"Marry me, Kakashi."

Kakashi's head jerked up. "What?"

Even though he looked utterly dismayed, Sakura smiled. "I want to marry you. I want to leave this place and start a life together."

Kakashi grinned a little in disbelief as he propped his head on his hand to look down at her. "Isn't it supposed to be me asking you that?"

She rolled onto her back and shuffled closer to snuggle beneath him. "You were taking too long and now that I'm pregnant I want to move this relationship in the right direction. Why should I wait for everything I want? It's all right here with me right now."

"You're what?!" he choked out, his mouth dropping open with her second surprise. He scanned her face as her eyes became hot, tears forming in the corners. She was biting her lip and smiling expectantly. It was so much for him to take in so fast – marriage and a baby – that she understood his stunned silence.

But then understanding seemed to sink in and Kakashi's face softened as a smile tugged at his mouth.

He traced her face slowly, his eyes going from her lips to her hair to her eyes. A gentle, pleased look crossed his face and then he whispered in tender anticipation, "You're what?"

"Those perfect days in Yasuragi. I didn't know until today." She put her hand over his and led it to her lower abdomen, pressing his palm open against her warm skin. "It's a boy."

"After all the pain and injury and everything you went through…"

She nodded. "He's strong. He made it through everything with us."

Kakashi laughed softly and then lowered down to kiss her long and sweet. And then, still smiling widely with his warm hand on her stomach, he laid down and whispered into her ear, "Marry me, Sakura."


	3. Chapter 3

Fated Alternate Ending – 22

Home

* * *

"I need him back." Ibiki asked from the doorway of the med tent.

Sakura was busy stocking the shelves and staving off the morning sickness she'd been experiencing for the last two weeks since Kakashi and she had resolved to be together forever. It wasn't too bad today but it was different morning to morning. She was almost two months along. She would probably be sick for at least one more so she needed to get used to it.

"Who do you mean?" Sakura mumbled absently as she piled the bandages up on the high shelf.

"I need Lieutenant Hatake back in the field immediately. When are you going to clear him? I just saw him at the mess tent and he looks good. We've got a major offensive coming." Ibiki wandered a few feet into the room and sat down heavily on one of the stools.

Sakura paused what she was doing and placed both hands on the counter. "He died. You do know that, right? We found him dead in the forest. He was kept alive by a machine for days."

"Of course I know that, Uchiha. But he's been out of commission for over three weeks. I need him back in the field and you need to make that happen."

Sakura spun on Ibiki and wandered over to stand in front of him, her arms crossed over her middle. Very quietly, very meaningfully, she said, "I will _never_ clear him. _Never._ Get yourself another Lieutenant from the Hokage. He's done."

"You can't do that, Sakura. He's got one more week here before he's released. I need him back on the roster A.S.A.P. for what's coming." Ibiki didn't appear mad, but he was taking that deeper tone with her that said he meant business.

"No. I've allowed him to help with planning at the Shed, but he's not leaving this camp until he goes home."

"Uchiha…"

Sakura sighed. "Ibiki… This is probably as good a time as any to tell you that I'm leaving too. I'm done here. I've mended your men, field trained your medics, and prepared your interrogations for almost four years. I've been loyal and hard-working and done everything you've expected of me – even in those times it was distasteful."

Ibiki jerked his chin. Apparently the news wasn't unexpected. "I'm sorry to hear that but I guessed that it was coming soon."

Sakura shrugged. "Well I'm seven weeks pregnant so this is not the place for me anymore."

Ibiki's head tipped back and his normally small eyes grew wide. "Ah, I see." That news was a shock.

"Yes, you see," she huffed. "And because I have done all this for you, you will release Kakashi from his commission right here, right now. Consider him a civilian for the next week until his rotation is done."

They stared at each other and Sakura could see he was measuring how far he could push her.

"One mission. Very low rank out to the border and back – just to get his men situated. I asked him to stay on another rotation and he refused so I already have a Lieutenant coming. I just need him to finish off his work. I can order him to do that, you know. He won't refuse. That's who he is."

Sakura sighed. "Yes, you could, and then I could bring you up on charges that you ignored my direct medical ruling. We both know which rank prevails in that situation. The Hokage is my Shishou. The next Hokage is my good friend. I don't like threatening you, Ibiki, but, well, there it is."

By his sudden shift from calmness to anger, Sakura knew she'd hit the right buttons.

"You're being unreasonable."

"If I had been just five minutes later to find Kakashi that morning, my child would have had to grow up without a father. And as I recall, you refused to send us backup to help so I think you owe me. You asking me to send him out for one more chance at death is absolutely unfathomable. I'm sorry. You need to face the fact that I've won this time. He will not be released medically and you will have to make due."

Ibiki stood up and stomped off to the door. He was pissed but she had no care for that. In a week, she would say goodbye to all the hardship and death she'd seen for the last few years to trade it in for a happier life than she had ever expected to have in Konoha

"I won't miss your stubborn streak and your lack of respect," he growled.

Sakura smiled sweetly at him. "Yeah, but you'll miss everything else."

After a brief pause, Ibiki huffed a laugh as he tipped his head back. "Fine. He's released. Get Yumi ready to take over and you can leave whenever you want. Good luck with your family."

"Thanks," she said softly, suddenly delighted in the idea that she would have her own family soon.

* * *

Their last week at the border flew by and Kakashi had actually enjoyed packing up his belongings, including the picture of them in Yasuragi that Sakura had placed on his small table. He wouldn't miss his hard cot or the mess tent food or the days of running between camps at the edge of the Fire Country. He would be forty in a few short years. It was time to give up missions, and almost dying out there was as good a wake-up call as any.

He was going to be a father. It was time to enjoy that responsibility.

Genma looked like a kicked puppy for the last two hours as he walked Sakura and Kakashi to the train. They stood on the platform together watching the gathering crowd silently because saying goodbye to a friend was always hard. Kakashi would never forget that Genma had been integral to saving them both that day. The debt was not possibly repaid.

"Why don't you come too, Genma? You've been at the border as long as I have," Sakura said gently, wrapping her arm around his and putting her head on his shoulder.

Genma took a deep breath, looking solemn. "Sakura, I'll never be able to steal you from Kakashi now with you being knocked up and all. It just seems like I'd be punishing myself if I came."

"Shut up," she laughed, smacking his shoulder. "I'm so going to miss you. Thank you for all you've done for us. Come home soon, okay?"

"I'll think about it. I've got some things to straighten out here for myself first and then I might just get on this train too." He grinned and slid his arm around Sakura. "Just remember, if it's a boy, name him Genma."

Sakura scoffed. "It _is_ a boy, and _no._ "

Kakashi was grinning under his mask, watching their exchange. He believed if it weren't for Genma's sense of humour and how he'd adopted Kakashi the minute he'd seen him that day in the Hokage's office a year ago, he might not have made it.

The train whistle blared in the near distance and Sakura turned to Genma, took his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his. When she let him go, he looked embarrassed. "That's for saving us. Come home soon." And then she wandered to the edge of the platform to let Kakashi say his goodbyes.

"Well, I'd like to say it's been fun but it's been shit, really," Kakashi said casually. "I'll miss you too, Genma. You saved me so many times in this last year."

"Happy to oblige," Genma said evenly, putting his hand out for Kakashi, who took it firmly. It was a harder goodbye than either man had anticipated.

"Say goodbye to Shan," Kakashi teased as he turned away.

Genma slid a senbon between his lips. "I definitely will. Good luck with your new family, my friend."

* * *

The train ride was exactly what they expected but Sakura slept most of the way. She'd been sick twice from the swaying of the locomotive and was exhausted from the week of getting the other medics ready to deal without her.

But the feeling of being on that train bound for the life of a year ago felt freeing to Kakashi. He'd come to the border with death on his mind and was returning with the expectation of a future for once. How eager he was to see his own apartment and Naruto and the tall Konoha gates.

He stroked Sakura's hair as she lay on the seat beside him, her head on his thigh. It had been a month since he nearly died – he did die, he needed to keep reminding himself – and his body was better, stronger, but the scars would remain.

He looked down at her lithe, still body, only shifting with each silent breath. She wasn't even showing yet. In the weeks since she'd told him of their child, he found the anticipation of being a father had actually become a focal point in his day to day thoughts. She'd started talking about names already, assuring him that it would _not_ be Genma.

No matter what his given name, the tiny child would be a Hatake. Kakashi envisioned a small boy with green eyes and silver hair. Pride and expectation swelled in his chest.

The clack of the train wheels continued steadily and Kakashi felt drowsy and warm. He closed his own eyes and for the first time in a year, felt completely comfortable to just let go.

* * *

Naruto stood on the platform as the train pulled into the station. Swaying from side to side anxiously, while he ran his hand through his golden hair. His gaze swung back and forth over all the heads of the passengers until he finally caught sight of Kakashi's crazy hair moving above the rest of the crowd. He laughed when he saw it. But the sight of pink beside him made his breath hitch a little.

He was overjoyed to finally see her. He'd waited so long for her return.

As soon as she saw him, she ran and clung to him as tightly as possible.

"I've missed you so much," she whispered as she sobbed on his shoulder.

He held her for a long time. Most of the crowd was gone before they managed to get enough composure to let go. Kakashi just watched them with a pleasant smile beneath his mask. Seeing them together filled him with warm nostalgia.

The two-hour walk didn't seem too long as Naruto talked most of the way. His new daughter – his pride and joy - was half the topic of discussion. The other half was filled with animated tales of the budding young ninja, Uzumaki Sasuke.

Sakura couldn't stop smiling.

As they passed through the gates of Konoha, She reached out and touched the wooden door lovingly. Again she cried, filled with loss and emotion and all the memories that she had there. This time Kakashi held her and she laughed with embarrassment through her tears.

It wasn't until she stood in the large foyer of the Uchiha household that everything seemed to become real to her. Her sandals squeaked on the shining wooden floor, and even her light steps echoed in the expansive hallway. It smelled of bleach, pine, and a hint of all the Uchihas who used to be there. Even now, four years later, it still smelled of them.

Kakashi and Naruto stood a little behind her, both staring at the sunlight drenched floor and the extensive winding stairs made of oak. They felt small and insignificant in such a place. It was too much like a museum to imagine living in it.

"I don't think I can stay here," she whispered as her wide eyes took in her former home. "It's so empty. It never really felt like it was mine, you know. It doesn't feel like home." She shook her head. In that moment, she understood that she had left the Uchiha part of her behind so many years ago and all she carried now was the name of her deceased husband. There was no duty to them, no obligation to the ghost that haunted her memory.

She turned to Kakashi. "We never really talked about this…"

He shrugged. "We can stay at my apartment for now, but we should get a bigger one before we get married."

Naruto choked on the air as his pointing finger swung between them. "Married?"

Sakura turned a light shade of pink as she pressed a hand to her hot cheek. "Didn't I mention it in my letters?"

Wide-eyed, mouth agape – thought with a hint of a smile - Naruto shook his head.

Kakashi clapped a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Well, there's no hurry but we should find something at least before the baby comes."

Naruto's mouth snapped closed and for the first time in her entire life, Sakura believed the man was speechless. It sent her into a fit of joyful laughter.

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

"Papa, come on. Hurry up. You promised."

"Just a second, Ichiro. Keep it down. Mama's still sleeping. I'll be right there," Kakashi whispered to the exuberant three year old bouncing within his open bedroom doorway. Kakashi slipped his shirt on and reached for his headband on the end table.

"It's okay. I'm awake," Sakura whispered to the darkened room even though it was eight in the morning. The blinds were pulled low to allow her a much needed lie-in as sleep had not been kind to her lately.

"Sorry," Kakashi said softly as he laid down on the bed next to her and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "How are you feeling?" He brushed the long pink hair away from her face tenderly.

"I'm okay. Just sleepy. Back aches a bit more than normal."

"Well, I'd be happy to rub it for you later when I get back."

Sakura rolled her eyes and laughed. "I'm too pregnant for that right now."

Kakashi gave her a mildly defeated look. "Then I'll just rub it for you later when I get back."

Suddenly another presence was on the bed as well, the light from the open doorway hitting the small boy's silver hair as he crawled up between them.

"Come here, Ichiro," Sakura said gently, pulling their son into her arms between them.

"Ugh, mama, don't," he mumbled and wriggled as she kissed his cheek repeatedly.

"Easy, kiddo. Mama had a rough night."

"Is it because of my sister?" Ichiro asked Kakashi, cranking his head around from the tight hug in which his mother had clamped him. He turned back to Sakura and put his small fingers on her face. "Your belly is really big."

"It is! And she's kicking. Here," she laughed, taking Ichiro's small hand from her cheek and placing it on her stomach. Ichiro's dark eyes, so much like his father's, shot open and his mouth became a perfect O as the tiny baby inside pushed against his warm hand. "She'll be here soon," Sakura said with a smile, glancing at her husband over their son's neatly brushed silver hair. Kakashi returned her happiness with his own gentle smile.

"Today?" Ichiro asked.

"In a week or so," Sakura assured and then lifted Ichiro's fingers to her lips and kissed them. "You'd better get going, sweetheart. Uncle Genma will sulk if you two are late."

Kakashi laughed. "Yes, that's never pretty. We'd better go." He leaned over their son and kissed Sakura again, breathing out a quick, "I love you," before he grabbed Ichiro around the waist and hauled him off the bed to riotous giggles. He slung the boy over his shoulder and waved to his wife as he headed to the usual Sunday meeting.

* * *

Genma was sweating a little in the warm Konoha sun as he tugged off his shirt and sighed lazily. He relaxed next to Kakashi as they sat a little ways from the memorial in the grass at their usual Sunday morning gathering. Kakashi was casually sitting cross-legged with his old book in the grass next to him watching the small spectacle beyond.

"That kid is tough," Genma huffed out with a laugh as they both watched Ichiro sparring lightly with Uzumaki Sasuke while Naruto looked on. "Naruto's kid is like six or seven and Ichiro can keep up with him. He's got your speed and Sakura's strength."

"Hm," Kakashi grunted, tilting his head while watching the boys finally fall into a playful wrestling match with Naruto. "Thank goodness Naruto's got the energy for those two. They'd have killed me by now."

"Well he is Hokage. Should be able to handle some exuberant boys. I had to bow out. They're getting too tough for an old man like me. Actually, I can't stay long. Shan wants us at her mother's for lunch today. Marriage can be such a chore. Hey, how's my girlfriend?"

Kakashi lifted his chin and pointed at the trio of ninja wrestling in the grass. "Sakura's due in a week but that little bugger over there came a week early so I don't want to leave her alone too long. She had a bad back last night. It's similar to when Ichiro was born. I think today might be the day."

"Did you see that, papa?" Ichiro shouted happily as he darted over and plunked down on Kakashi's crossed legs to lean back against his chest. "Sasuke and I whipped Uncle Naruto. He says he can't get up."

Everyone's eyes turned to the Hokage lying in the grass, immobile. Sasuke jumped on him suddenly and he lurched up and grabbed him, tickling and laughing.

"Looks like just half a whip," Genma chuckled.

"Papa?" Ichiro said quietly, pushing Kakashi's hand away from his dad's usual attempt to muss up his neat silver hair. "Does my little sister have a name yet?"

Kakashi kissed the top of Ichiro's head. "Your mother wants to name her Etsuko, I think."

"Why does mama get to name her?"

Kakashi smiled. "Because I got to name you."

"Oh." Ichiro tilted his head all the way back to look up at his father, reaching up to touch his cheeks like he had done to Sakura that morning. "I want to name her Haruko. I hope she has mama's pink hair. It's so pretty. All girls should have pink hair. Mama looks like spring. I want Haruko to have green eyes too."

"Haruko, hm? What if she has silver hair and gray eyes like yours?"

Ichiro scrunched his nose. "I guess it will be okay. But pink is nicest."

Kakashi laughed softly. In this tiny body sitting on his legs was the potential to mold chakra perfectly, to perform jutsu with ease and to mend almost any injury. He would be fast, intelligent and deadly if he managed to get the good side of their genes. He'd be loyal and protective and strong enough to knock down a building. And there he sat talking about girl's hair. The happy, loving life they had given his son was all he could ever have asked for as a man, as a father. This boy would never have to go through what he did.

"I like the name Haruko. We'll tell your mother about it when we get home, but it's her choice."

"Okay. But if she picks Etsuko, then I get to name the next one," Ichiro mumbled as he picked at the grass in front of them.

Kakashi looked sideways at Genma and they shared an amused grin. As stealthily as he could, Kakashi ruffled Ichiro's hair. "Okay, buddy. Five more minutes and then we need to get home."

"Okay," Ichiro responded, smoothing his hair back down again before he jumped up and ran at Naruto and Sasuke still wrestling in the grass. They were laughing and giggling and rolling together like maniacs. Sunday mornings were just too fun.

"Hard to believe it's been four years since Sakura got pregnant with that little dude," Genma observed calmly, still watching the happy melee. "Sometimes I think about what would have happened if we were just a few minutes later to find you that time. It makes me feel that fear again."

Kakashi dipped his chin in concurrence. "Sometimes I have nightmares about it. I dream of Sakura having to raise him without me. I would never have known that I had this amazing son. I would never have held him or kissed him or watched him grow into this fantastic kid. And a daughter now too… I've had a happy life with Sakura. I wouldn't have had any of it if you hadn't come back for me."

"It was her that made it happen, Kakashi." Genma pulled off his headband and set it on the grass. Then he rubbed his hand roughly over his forehead. "I would have taken care of her for you. You know that. And I would have been there for your son too." Then Genma sighed wistfully, making Kakashi look sideways at him. "And then, Kakashi, when Sakura was happier and getting along without you, I would have gently guided her into the beautiful thing that is physical love with another man. If that man happened to be me…"

Kakashi scowled. "Eh, Genma, sometimes I can't tell if you're joking."

"Ah, perhaps you'll never know."

"Stop talking about my wife like that."

Genma laid back in the grass and snorted to himself.

"Hatake-san?" a voice abruptly called out from behind the men. When they turned to look behind them, Iruka was jogging up.

"What's up?" Genma asked, looking at the panting man who stopped and put his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"Your wife has gone to the hospital," Iruka huffed. "She sent me to find you and said to hurry your ass up."

Kakashi's eyebrows rose.

He waved an apology. "She said it. Not me."

"What's the matter?" Naruto asked as he approached with the boys in tow, seeing Iruka there.

Kakashi got rapidly to his feet. "Naruto, can you take Ichiro for a while. Sakura's in labour."

With a wide grin, Naruto nodded. "Of course!"

* * *

Sakura lay on her side, sleepy and comfortable. Her labour hadn't been as long as when she'd had Ichiro, but it was just as painful. Five hours wasn't bad, she supposed, and her body had a natural healing ability that probably dampened the agony. Already just two hours later, she felt almost normal but just a little sleepy. Nevertheless, it was over and her beautiful daughter had finally arrived. She curled against the pillow in the hospital bed and stared at her husband who was holding their new baby in the chair beside the bed. Kakashi looked at the little child with such love that it gave Sakura butterflies.

She yawned softly and Kakashi glanced up from the bundle wrapped in a green blanket.

"She's so perfect," Kakashi breathed out, smiling.

"I see she already has you wrapped around her little finger," she laughed softly.

Kakashi stroked the baby's cheek with his finger. "Just like her mother."

A gentle knock came at the hospital room door and Kakashi called for the visitor to come in. Naruto poked his head inside and glanced around at the three occupants of the room. "He is too excited to meet his sister, Sakura. I thought he might bust the door down."

Ichiro popped his head in as well. "I wouldn't break the door," he huffed.

"Get in here, little man," Sakura said sweetly. "She's been waiting to meet her big brother too."

Happily Ichiro slipped into the room as Naruto nodded his goodbye. The small boy wandered over to Kakashi and leaned against his side to gaze down at the little child. "Oh, mama. She has pink hair," he said as his fingers lightly skimmed over the downy pastel hair on the baby's head. He abruptly darted over to the bed and laid his head down on Sakura's leg, hugging her as he started to cry a little. "You made her so pretty. I wanted her to have pink hair."

Sakura looked at Kakashi as she stroked Ichiro's hair, smiling at him in just the way he was smiling back.

"Come up here, sweetheart," she whispered, encouraging her son to climb on the bed. At the same time, Kakashi got up and brought his baby daughter to the side of the bed as Ichiro snuggled in against his mother.

"Put your arms out, sit straight and you can hold her." Kakashi directed tenderly.

Ichiro hurriedly did as commanded and put his arms out as Kakashi lowered the sleeping baby to Ichiro's lap. Sakura put her arms around them both to help support her. "Mind her head. She's very delicate right now."

Ichiro stared down at his sister, smiling as tears rolled to his chin.

Kakashi sat down and touched the little girl's hair. "This is Haruko. She has your eyes, Ichiro."

Ichiro's mouth dropped open in elated surprise as he watched the girl's eyes finally open to look up at him. He laughed softly, happily, as he continued to stare at the little child he'd been anticipating for months. "She has _our_ eyes, Papa."

So taken with the moment, Kakashi looked up at Sakura who was smiling through her own tears. He reached up and gently stroked one from her cheek. "Thank you for giving me this, Sakura."

She wrapped her hand around his and held it to her cheek as she closed her eyes and whispered, "Thank you for loving me."


End file.
